


Winter Roses [Haikyuu]

by smollish_writings



Series: Winter Roses Collection [1]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: :V, Asahi is underrated, Asahi needs some love, F/M, Haikyuu!! Manga Spoilers, I don't know what else to tag here, I'm still waiting for a color guard anime/manga, Manga spoilers are minor, My First AO3 Post, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Sorry if this is bad, Tags May Change, Volleyball, winterguard
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-19
Updated: 2021-03-04
Packaged: 2021-03-08 02:53:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 16,535
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26548564
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/smollish_writings/pseuds/smollish_writings
Summary: [Y/N] is a guard girl at heart. Recently having moved back to Miyagi after living in the United States for 7 years, she comes back to find herself attending Karasuno. Colour guard isn't as well known in Japan as it is in the States, but she's determined to form a team of talented students and compete. However, what may become of her once she befriends the boys volleyball team, especially considering who she's related to?
Relationships: Azumane Asahi/Original Female Character(s), Azumane Asahi/Reader, Sawamura Daichi/Original Female Character(s), Sawamura Daichi/Reader, Sugawara Koushi/Original Female Character(s), Sugawara Koushi/Reader
Series: Winter Roses Collection [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2134392
Comments: 9
Kudos: 38





	1. •| New Kid |•

**Author's Note:**

> So after binge-watching the entirety of Haikyuu in a week, and rereading the manga not long after it officially ended, I found myself falling in love back with the series. I first read it back in middle school and I kinda forgot about it for awhile, but now that it's officially ended, I decided to write this! I hope you enjoy it, this is my first work here on Archive :))
> 
> Also just a small note, italicized words mean they're [Y/N]'s inner thoughts :))

The sounds of volleyball hitting the ground echoed throughout the gym at Karasuno High. The boys had just returned from their training camp and game against Nekoma High and were preparing themselves for the spring prelims.

Kiyoko tuned out a lot of Ukai's pointers and tips for the boys when she felt a presence. She glanced by the gym doors and saw a pair of eyes looking in. They quickly disappeared around the corner as hers connected with theirs. Curiosity peaked her interest as she made her way to the doors. Looking outside of the gym, Kiyoko was greeted with the sight of a small girl.

Kiyoko would've mistaken her for a middle schooler if it wasn't for her Karasuno uniform. The girl couldn't have been taller than 150cm. Her [H/C] hair became a curtain over her left eye as she stood nervously in front of the upperclassman. "I'm sorry to intrude, but... Do you know if this school has a colour guard team? O-Or, at the least, somewhere open where I can practise...?" The small student stuttered, obviously nervous. The third year student noticed that the girl was carrying a strange tall bag. She also noticed that the girl did not appear to be of a Japanese descent and that her Japanese was slightly broken.

_A foreigner, perhaps?_

"I'm not sure if there's a.. Guard at this school, but there's some open space around the club rooms." Kiyoko said, pointing around towards what appeared to be a small complex. The tiny student bid her a thank you before scurrying off. Kiyoko watched her rush off before returning inside the gym to the boys practise.

•|•|•

The boys leave their den covered in sweat from their practise. Stomachs grumbled as Coach Ukai began to lead them to his shop for dinner. 

Although the boys were the ones who were working the entire time, Ukai was beyond exhausted. The older man had been staying up late for the past few weeks thinking of strategies and weakness within his boys. He knew that these games meant a lot to them, especially the third year boys. He glanced back and looked at the three as they conversed with each other. He didn't want to let them down, nor the rest of the team. And especially after today's practise game against Nekoma, it was clear that receiving and defence were the biggest weakness within the team.

A loud metal pang rang out and brought Ukai out of his thoughts. He began looking around to find the source of the sound and noticed a peculiar sight. A tiny girl was swinging around a giant flag that has to be at least a foot taller than her. He stopped in his tracks. The boys noticed his pause and looked to where his gaze went and widened at her.

"Hey do you guys recognise her?" Daichi asked quietly to the team. The only answer he got was from the shaking of heads. "She was glancing in the gym earlier and simply asked if there was a colour guard team at this school or open space. Other than that, I hadn't seen her before." Kiyoko said. He nodded, turning his attention back to her and watched her in awe.

What she was doing was something none of the boys had ever seen before. The flag itself was rather plain: a solid salmon pink. Nothing too flashy. However, her skills showed a completely different story. Despite being shorter than the black flag pole, she danced rather gracefully, the flag being tossed in what could only be assumed very difficult and intricate ways. What made the display all the more powerful was the choice of song. The boys didn't understand the words, as it was an English song, but they could tell it was a rather melancholic by the instrumentals and the powerful voice of the artist.

The entire team was awestruck by the performance. Different thoughts were flowing throughout each of their minds, but in the end they all came to the same conclusion; it was beautiful. Everyone was silent, even Noya and Hinata. Daichi, however, was the one most enthralled by her. He was getting a familiar feeling of when he first met Hinata. He didn't and wouldn't have expected someone with such a small stature to be capable of such beautiful and captivating acts. His breath hitched when she made a large 45° toss and slid to the ground, fearing the massive object may hit her. However, she caught it with evident ease and stood back up abruptly. She did a few more small tosses before slamming the flag against the ground in time with the ending note along with a dramatic pose. The boys didn't utter a word, not wanting to break the silence. However, Hinata finally snapped out of his daze. "WOW, THAT WAS AMAZING! HOW DID YOU DO THAT?!" He yelled, startling everyone including her. Her head snapped in their direction, briefly connecting gazes with Daichi before she stood up abruptly. And she ran.

"W-Wait! Come back!" Hinata shrieked before running after her. He didn't get a single step in before Coach Ukai had grabbed the collar of his shirt, preventing him from running after the small teen. "You already scared her, and she left her things behind. We don't need her to be afraid of us, give her some time." Sugawara reasoned with the first year. Hinata grumbled a few incoherent words before nodding. Suga walked over to her spot and took a look at her things. He was surprised to see not only a flag but what appeared to be a wooden rifle and a sword among her large bag. The silver-haired male gingerly put the flag back in the bag and zipped it up.

"Since she's probably not gonna come back and get it, let's leave it in the club room so no one else steals anything. We can look around for her in school tomorrow." He said, making his way to their club room. Daichi and Ukai nodded in agreement. The boys quickly got changed back into their normal school uniforms and locked up the room before heading their way to Ukai's store for their food.

×|×|×

I didn't realise my mistake until I was already back home. I quickly opened and shut the door to my small apartment in a flash before sinking down to the ground, panting in exhaustion. My small ferret ran out from his hiding spot in among the cushions on the love seat and nuzzled himself between my arms. I smiled softly and pet his head.

"Thank you, Zaggles. I know you always know how to make me smile," I cooed to the animal. He licked my hand gingerly before running off to find his sister. I sighed and began to feel myself for my phone. My heart sank to the bottom of my stomach as I remembered that I left it in my guard bag, which I had abandoned during my panic. I smacked myself in the head before beginning to pace back and forth in front of the front door.

_Dammit, I swear I grabbed it! I'm so stupid! Should I go back...? No. I don't wanna socialise. That's gross. But... I need my phone, I said I was gonna call him..._

I was pulled out of my thoughts when Zaggles waddled up by my side and nudged his head into my leg, seemingly towards the door. I nodded to myself. "You're right, Zag. I need to face my fear. Besides, it'll be a lot more awkward if I wait until tomorrow to get it." I said to him, scratching his head affectionately. I quickly out my bag back on the counter and sprint out the door, leaving Zaggles and wherever his sister was to their own devices.

I make my way back towards the school in a rush, panting. I noticed that no one was left on campus once I got back around where I was earlier on in the evening. My head drooped in despair as I began to make my way back home.

_Dammit... I told the idiot I would call, he'll probably be spamming my phone again. Just what I need, my texts spammed with 50+ memes again—_

"Umm, are you the one from earlier who was doing the flag thing..?" A timid voice asked me. I froze and looked up to see a scarily tall form towering over me. A scream was about to escape my lips until I notice how soft yet nervous his facial expression was. His hair was long and brunet, tied into a loose bun. His chocolate eyes were gentle and avoided my gaze as he twiddled his fingers in a nervous manner. The screech that was previously threatening to spill from my lips died down as my own face softened at his gentle demeanour.

_For such a big guy, most wouldn't expect him to be this shy._

"Yes, that would be me. Would you happen to know where my things are?" I asked the timid giant in a soft, shy voice. His face heated up in embarrassment (although I should be the one embarrassed since it's my things I left) and he finally looked me in the eye, nodding his head. "Y-Yes! I decided to lock in our clubroom since we weren't sure if you were gonna come back and we didn't want it to get stolen or damaged and—" I giggled at his rambling, giving him a small smile afterwards. He scratched his back nervously before turning away.

"Daichi is the one who has the key, we can go get it since you probably want your stuff back." He said. My heart sank slightly and it was my turn to twiddle my fingers shyly. "Do you think.. you could go and get the keys and I hang back a little? I don't.. like meeting a lot of new people at once..." I mumbled, turning my head away from him. He blinked before nodding.

"Of course! You can just wait here, I'll go get the key so that you can get your things, just wait here." He said to me before running off. I nodded and stayed in place. I stood still for about a minute or two until I began to grow a little nervous. I had only moved back to Miyagi a week prior, and I was still very unfamiliar with my surroundings. The terrain hadn't changed too much, but I didn't exactly remember how everything was from 7 years of being gone. My anxiety spiked and I scrambled to catch up and follow the kind stranger.

I trailed behind him at a distance and he turned a corner around to a small convenience shop. I noticed that I had passed it on my way to the school and made a mental note to myself to stock up on energy drinks when I come back. I took the moment to look around the corner and identify the group.

I was astonished to see that someone was even taller than the timid giant. He had glasses and shaggy blond hair and stood next to a shorter but still tall green-tinted male. Among the rest of the group were brunets and raven-haired boys.

Three others stood out more, one being a platinum-haired male. He had soft hazel eyes and a beauty mark underneath his left eye. His hair looked soft to the touch.

_I wonder what shampoo and conditioner he uses, his hair looks amazing..._

I turned my attention to the two short people of the group. Both of them stood out for their unique hair and for the fact that they were the only ones remotely close to my short stature. The first had fluffy, unruly orange/ginger hair. He had brown eyes and was obviously full of energy. The other was even shorter than him, though not by much. He had brunet hair with a tuft in the front bleached blond. His hair was styled to appear spiky. His eyes were a soft brown and held a somewhat animalistic glint. His eyes suddenly trailed over to my hiding spot around the corner and I squeaked in surprise before running back a little. I heard him shout "wait" but he never came closer. I slowed my breathing and stood in place, waiting for the gentle giant to come back.

A minute passed before I heard the jingling of keys. I turned my attention to the source of the sound and saw the long-haired man walking towards me. I smiled lightly and walked by his side. We walked together in a comfortable silence back to the school.

"Are they your teammates?" I asked in a soft voice. He turned his attention to me, surprised that I had spoken up before making his response. "Yeah, we all play volleyball. We're training for a tournament coming up that'll determine whether we make it to Nationals. Its my third and last year here, so this means a lot to me." He said, a smile finding its way onto his face. My expression softened at the tone of his voice. I could tell instantly that volleyball was something he deeply cared about.

_Kinda like me with guard..._

"A third year. So here in Japan your third year represents the last year of high school?" I said. He nodded, a little puzzled. "I only recently moved here to Miyagi, last week actually. I'm surprised you can understand me, I hadn't spoken Japanese in years so I've assumed most of my speech is choppy and a little broken." I explained to him. "Anyway, with that said, I guess we're in the same grade, stranger!"

The timid male stopped in his tracks to stare at me in shock. "Wait! Y-You're a third year?? But you're so..." He tried to find a way to say short without sounding like a jerk and I laughed at his politeness.

"Short?" I finished for him. He nodded, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly. "I'm honestly not sure why I'm so short. My family isn't known for being tall or anything, but as far as I know, I'm the shortest person known within my ancestry. Well, most of my ancestry. My brother is on the short side too." I said, looking up at the night sky. He gave a curt nod in understanding as we neared the buildings I had been practising in front of earlier today.

"By the way.. What's your name, kind stranger?" I asked him, turning on my heel to face his direction.

"I'm Asahi. Azumane Asahi." He said, smiling down at me. I held out my hand, a small smile on my face as I look up into his eyes. "I'm Udai [Y/N]. It's a pleasure to be your acquaintance." He took my hand and my eyes widened at the size difference between our palms. _Geez Louis, he could fold his fingers over mine._ My cheeks turned pink after I realised that I had been holding his hand for a minute and I release, turning away in embarrassment. He turned away too, not letting me see his red cheeks either. I looked up to see we had arrived back at the small complex. He went up a stairway and to the third door. He fumbled with the keys before unlocking their club room and letting me inside.

"Sorry if it's a bit messy here, other people normally don't go in the club room unless they're part of the team.." He said nervously. However, I didn't listen to a word, and made a straight beeline for my bag. I unzipped it to check if my flag, rifle, and sabre were all in place and undamaged. I grabbed my phone out of the other pocket and tucked it in with my skirt. I zipped the bag shut and stood up, the top-heavy object slung over my shoulder. I smiled brightly at Azumane and bowed as best as I could.

"Thank you so much, for keeping my things safe, Azumane!" I exclaimed happily. He nodded his head at me in acknowledgement and we leave promptly, with him locking the door safely away. As we began to head off of campus, I locked eyes with him.

"Well, I'll see you in school tomorrow, Azumane." I said, heading off in the direction where I live. He said a soft "see you later" and we both go our separate ways. I fished my phone back out and opened the messenger app. Memes and 4 missed calls were showing on the screen from a specific number. I sweatdropped and quickly opened the messages. I began typing back a response before putting the device back in my pocket.

**That's A Little Gay Bro XXX-XXX-XXXX**

**Hey man, I left my phone**

**in my bag earlier today, sorry!**

**I'll call back tomorrow, ight?**

**[Delivered at 9:43pm.]**

_He'll understand. He'll answer tomorrow morning at his time, he pulls all-nighters all the time._

When I arrived back at my small apartment and grabbed the door, I noticed that it opened without me inserting the key. "Whoops, guess I didn't lock it..." I said to myself as I close it and lock it this time. As I sat my bag down beside the door, I noticed two expectant animal faces staring back at me.

"Alright you two, I'll feed you. Geez, Zaggles, you were the one who made me think I should go back to get my things." I grumbled, grabbing their food dishes. After feeding them, the rest of the night passed by rather quickly and soon enough, I was getting ready to sleep for the night. Ziggles and Zaggles were safe and sound asleep in their shared cage and I had finished my quick shower. As I turned off the light and drift away to dreamland, more than a dozen faces flash across my mind while the gentle giant lingered a little longer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Updates for this will be very scattered and will not run along a set schedule. It's my senior year in high school, and along with the virus messing up things as much as it has, updates will be coming and going whenever my schedule allows it. I apologise in advance for this! ^^///


	2. •| New School |•

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Friendly reminder;
> 
> Italicized words mean [Y/N]'s thoughts, and now bold text means someone else over the phone :))

I looked upwards at the gates of Karasuno High School. Students wearing identical uniforms as me walk through, some with headphones in, others conversing amongst each other. I took a deep breath before walking through the gate.

_I'm glad it isn't too far from my apartment to here. I could've rode Blackstar here but I don't know where I could park, nor wanna waste any gas._

I'm brought out of my thoughts as I walked through the front door and made my way around. I soon realised I had no idea where the office was. My anxiety spiked as I glanced around nervously as students began to stare at me. I scurried out of the hallway, and ended up crashing into someone. I didn't hesitate to begin apologising repeatedly.

"I'm so sorry! I wasn't looking at where I was going, I'm a new student here, I don't know where anything is around here—" I said all in one sentence. I opened my eyes and to my surprise, I ended up running into a familiar face. "Azumane!" I exclaimed, holding my hand out to the long-haired man. He held his head in pain, but had a similar surprised look on his face once he opened his eyes. "Oh, it's you!" He said softly as he took my hand. I kinda struggled to help him up, due to our height difference, but successfully pulled the student to his feet.

"Sorry about that, Azumane. I'm... lost and having a lot of people staring at me made me a little nervous. Do you know where the front office is? I need my schedule and I want to ask them about existing clubs and extracurricular activities, as well as how to form new groups." I said to him. He blinked a few times before smiling.

"Yeah, I can help you. Follow me," He said, motioning for me to follow his lead. Together we walked through the halls and eventually were in front of the office. I turned back to my newfound friend and bowed. "Thank you for all your help, both today and yesterday!" I said. He looked away, scratching his neck nervously. "Don't worry about it, I'm more than happy to help."

"Well, I'll see you around, guardian angel." I said, grinning. Before he could respond, I made my way into the office. He stood there, his cheeks reddening at the pet name.

"So who's the short cutie?" A voice asked the tall third year. He shrieked in surprise as Nishinoya Yuu jumped on his back. "Well? She was the flag girl from last night, right? She looks like her. What year is she in? How old is she? Is she dating anyone??" Noya rapid-fired questions to the third year. He sighed with exhaustion as they made their way back down the hall.

Upon entering the office, I walked to the woman behind the desk and stood idly by, waiting for her to acknowledge me. "What is it that you need, miss?" I snapped to attention as the woman addressed me.

"Oh! Sorry, I'm Udai [Y/N], I recently got transferred here. I need my school schedule, please." I said politely. She gave me a curt nod. "Of course, Miss Udai, I can get that for you." As she began typing and printing out my schedule, I asked her, "If you don't mind me asking, what clubs and sports teams are currently at this school?"

"The current clubs and sports available here are volleyball, basketball, softball, tennis, cheer, and the gymnastics teams." She said, giving me a somewhat forced smile. I nodded, twiddling my fingers. "All right, thank you, but might I ask how students can form new clubs and teams?" I asked timidly. Her eye twitched with annoyance and I felt a little guilty after asking. "If you want to form a club, you will have to run that by the principal as well as the student council." She said tautly before handing me my schedule rather forcefully. "Have a great day!" And with that she motioned me away while she turned back to her computer. I huffed and quickly exited the office.

_Damn. What a warm welcome... Well, guess I'll make my way d̶o̶w̶n̶t̶o̶w̶n̶ to my first period which is... College Algebra. Ew._

I inwardly groaned as I began to navigate through the school. I soon made my way down the third year hall and looked at each class room number. I soon spotted Class 4 and hesitantly walked in. I was greeted with the sight of students all conversing with each other, or on their phones, similarly to when I walked through the gates. However, as soon as I walked through the doorway, all the eyes turned to me. The anxiety from earlier began to rise again and my hands began to shake. I silently avoided any kind of eye contact with anyone as I walked to the back of the room. I sat down at an isolated desk and waited for the usual miserable first day of being the new kid to begin, unaware of a pair of hazel and chocolate eyes that kept glancing at me.

Thank the Lord, the teacher didn't make me introduce myself, and the first half of the day passed by rather quickly. As it was the last period before lunch, I began to tug at the collar of my uniform. _Geez, never thought I'd have to wear a uniform again. Well, at least its kinda cute._

I was pulled out of my thoughts as the bell rung, signaling the time of the day I dreaded most; lunch. I sat and pondered for a moment before deciding to simply stay and eat in the classroom. I got my small bento box out of my bag and began to silently eat my orange chicken and fried rice that I had prepared earlier.

I had just finished my rice when two students approached me. I grew a little nervous until I recognised one of them from the previous night.

"Silver!" I said, covering my mouth since I had just taken a bite. The hazel-eyed student looked at me with a puzzled expression as I quickly swallowed the food. "Sorry, I just recognised you from last night by your hair colour. Sorry about running away last night, I don't like meeting so many people at once, and I'm sorry I'm rambling on so much." I said all at once. Both of the boys stared at me blankly and I scratched the back of my neck, chuckling awkwardly.

"Sorry, I'm a little nervous... Hi! I'm Udai [Y/N]. It's nice to meet you!" I said, standing up and holding my hand out. The brown-haired male took my hand and gave me a firm handshake.

"It's a pleasure to properly meet you, [Y/N]. I'm Sawamura Daichi, captain of Karasuno's Boys Volleyball team and this is Sugawara Koushi, my co-captain." He said, giving me a warm smile. I could tell that he was a kind person, as well as Sugawara. "So, you guys are Azumane's teammates?"

"Yeah, do you want to meet the rest of the team soon? I can tell you aren't exactly fond of crowds, but we could tell them to not be as chaotic as they usually are, if that would make you more comfortable." Sugawara suggested. My eyes brightened at his idea, more so that he took in account my social awkwardness despite not knowing me for long.

"Thank you, I'd love to. The three of you are all very kind." I grinned brightly. Suddenly a question came to my mind. "Hey, Sawamura, you said you're the captain, yes? Would you happen to know how sports teams and extracurriculars are formed?" I questioned. He blinked a few times before shaking his head.

"I might be able to help, I'm part of the student council," Sugawara chimed in. "What kind of group are you wanting to form?"

"I moved back here from living in the United States. A sport known as colour guard is something I don't believe is all well-known and popular here, and I'm hoping to raise its popularity here. Guard is a beautiful and passionate sport and I want to show people how graceful and fierce it can be." I said, giving Sugawara a confident smile. Both of the boys stared at me without saying a word, which made me think I might have said a little too much. Those thoughts were pushed aside as the silver-haired boy began to laugh.

"You're a real go-getter, aren't you? You care about this sport a whole lot. I believe that you can get a team together, so I'll help arrange a meeting with the principal for you to propose this new club. If he approves, there's an extracurricular showcase coming up. You can advertise this colour guard and what it is to hopefully recruit some students to join." He said. My face brightened at his proposal and I instantly glomped the third year in a hug. He went stiff with surprise as I quickly let go of him.

"Thank you, Sugawara. I highly appreciate this opportunity." I said. "How soon do you think you can arrange a meeting?"

Sugawara pondered silently to himself before answering. "I can try to get something arranged for this afternoon, but if not, I'm sure I can get a meeting for tomorrow."

"Alright. Thank you again, I really appreciate you doing this for me despite just meeting!" I said, grinning.

"Guard was that thing you were doing with the flag last night, right?" Sawamura asked. My face heated up in embarrassment. "Oh, you all saw that? Yeah, that was a small thing I had to choreograph myself as my final exam last year. It honestly wasn't the best, I had two weeks to come up with it." I said bashfully. Sawamura shook his head and placed his hand on my shoulder.

"Nonsense, I would have never imagined someone of your height could do something so amazing, and I mean that in the best way possible." He said, giving me a warm smile. I chuckled lightly at his compliments. "You really know how to make a lady feel special, huh?" I teased the captain, and his cheeks turned a light pink in response.

Before we could talk anymore, the bell rang throughout the school. I pouted a little, disappointed I wouldn't be able to chat with my new friends until the end of the day.

"Well, guess we should get ready for class to start. Oh! Before you go," I began to fish out my phone out of my bag. I opened the contact app on the small iPhone 5, and held it out to Sugawara first. "Could you enter your contact information so you can call or text me if you were able to get the meeting set up?" I asked him. He nodded and quickly typed in his name. I saved it before handing the device to the captain. "Could I have your number too? I... Wanna get to know both of you a little more." I said, turning my head away in embarrassment.

"O-Oh! Sure." He took my phone in his hands and entered his number and name. He held it a few more seconds before handing it back to me. "I've never seen a phone like this before, what kind is it?" Sawamura inquired. I turned my attention back to him before glancing back down at my phone. "Oh, this thing? It's an iPhone. The iPhone 5 model. It's a smartphone that can connect to the internet, play mobile games on, it's really cool! They were originally developed in the States a few years ago, I'd recommend getting one." I say, showing both of the boys some of the features.

I heard someone clearing their throat and my attention turned to the front of the room. The teacher was staring at us and I laughed nervously. "Sorry, I'll talk to you later." I whispered to them as they went back to their own seats.

•|•|•

The rest of the day went by just as quickly as the first half and as soon as the bell rang, I had darted out of my seat and out the door. I quickly fished my phone out of my bag and checked for any messages from Sugawara. I didn't see anything yet and frowned slightly. I shrugged before switching from the messenger app to the phone and dialed the number that I had forgotten to call back the previous night. It rung three times before someone had finally answered.

**"New phone, who dis?"** A groggy voice answered. I stifled a giggle before answering with my own question. "Is this the Krusty Krab?"

**"No, this is Patrick."** They deadpanned and there was a silence for about five seconds before we both burst out laughing. A few students nearby stared at me but for once, I ignored them. **"Hey there, dumbass, how's Tokyo treating you?"** My old friend asked.

"It's Miyagi, actually. And I'm doing well. I did live here when I was younger, it's just taking some time to adjust back to living here." I answered back. He hummed in response. **"Alright, I'm glad you're doing okay. Have you replaced me as your best friend yet?"** He asked. I smile to myself. "Don't worry, you're always my number 1, my dude. I have met some new people, Oh! And I'm hopefully in the process of forming a guard here too!" I said excitedly.

**"That's good to hear for you. Although I must admit, I'm not sure if anyone would like to have such a short captain."** He teased. My eye twitched with annoyance. "You jerk, I'd hit you if you were here!" I said, giggling. **"Yeah yeah, I get it. You sure you don't need a stool to reach me?"**

"I get it you idiot. I'll talk to you later. Get some sleep, its like 1 am where you are." I told him. He chuckled. **"Alright, MOM. I'll talk to you later, Firecracker."**

"I'll talk to you later, Danny. I miss you." I said, smiling softly before hanging up. I looked around and noticed that I had subconsciously walked up by the front gate of the school. I shrugged as I was about to leave the campus before I remembered something.

"Sugawara! I was supposed to meet him!" I exclaimed to myself. I whipped around and began to run back until I ran in to someone. Again. I shook the dizziness away before noticing that it was the silver-haired student that I was looking for that I ran into. I got up and instantly apologised.

"I'm so sorry, Sugawara! I need to stop meeting people like this," I said, scratching my neck awkwardly. He laughed and I helped him to his feet.

"There's no need to worry, you're fine! Also, you can call me Suga, that's what most of my friends call me." He said. I shook my head in understanding. "Alright. Hey, did you happen to get something set up with the principal?" I asked.

"I did, but the meeting will be tomorrow. Do you want to meet some of the team today?" He offered. I smiled and nodded my head. "Sure," and with that said, the two of us made our way to the gymnasium.


	3. •| New Friends |•

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Friendly reminder;
> 
> Italicized words mean [Y/N]'s thoughts, and bold text means someone else over the phone.
> 
> And in case you didn't realise it in the first few chapters, the spacing with "•|•|•" means a simple timeskip and spacing with "×|×|×" means a point of view change (and sometimes a timeskip too). :))

The sound of volleyballs hitting the ground echoed outside of the gymnasium as I drew nearer. I took a deep breath as I followed Suga into the gym. Several boys were practising a variety of things with volleyball. Some were serving, others were stretching, and one was receiving off the wall. I recognised a few from the night before, and a certain short spiky haired boy spotted me as I walked in with Suga. A grin spread across his face and I sweatdropped.

"Oh, you're the cute flag girl!" He exclaimed, gaining the attention of everyone in the gymnasium. My heart sped in nervous habit and I began to wish I didn't agree to this. They all approached me as Suga gave me a few pats on my back.

"Everyone, this is [Y/N]! She's a new student, so make sure to make her feel comfy here at Karasuno!" Suga stated, grinning from ear to ear. I glanced around at the small sea of faces before locking eyes with a certain gentle giant. My face brightened and I felt more at ease to see a familiar face. Sawamura stood next to him.

"Azumane, Sawamura! It's good to see you two!" I said. The group's eyes turned to the other third years and I heard a deep chuckle. My attention turned to the other giant that I had seen the previous night.

"Are you sure this pipsqueak is a high school student? She's even smaller than our two shorties." He stated, a smug look on his face. It took a lot of my willpower to not smack him upside the head as I took a deep breath. "I apologise but not all of us are graced to be tall." I calmly said back. "What grade even are you in?"

"First year. I should be asking you that, you look like you're fresh out of elementary." He snickered. The green-tinted boy that I saw with him the other night slapped his arm lightly and I swear I could hear him say "Tsuki, that's rude!" My eye twitched with annoyance and I crossed my arms.

"Third year, so you might wanna watch your mouth, Mr. Beanpole." I shot back. The tall blond's eyes widened and the entire team with the exception of Azumane, Sugawara, and Sawamura all gawked at me.

"You're a third year??" The ginger exclaimed. I chuckled and nodded. A boy with a buzz cut and the shortest of the group both ran up to me. "Damn, another hot third year?! Kiyoko might have some competition!" The buzz cut exclaimed. "Nice to meet you! I'm Nishinoya Yuu. Ignore him, you should pay more attention to me." The short male with the bleached hair said to me, wiggling his eyebrows.

A few of the others began to introduce themselves to me as the afternoon went by. Despite just learning their names, I could almost instantly recognise their friendship dynamics. The beanpole and Yamaguchi were the most obvious pair next to Kageyama and Hinata. Nishinoya and Tanaka were another package deal, but I could see that the buzz cut also had a close friendship with Ennoshita. Sawamura, Suga and Azumane were obvious, though the first two had a special connection. All in all, it took me a lot less time than usual to warm up to the boys.

I noticed out of the corner of my eye that another girl had walked in as well. I noticed that she was the same pretty student who had pointed out the area where I practised the other night. Tanaka noticed my gaze and turned to see her. His face brightened before he turned on his heel. Nishinoya noticed her as well and soon followed close behind the 2nd year.

"Kiyoko my love, you're back!" Tanaka exclaimed, capturing all of our attention and jumped to give her a hug. To my surprise, she quickly dodged his advance, causing him to fall flat on his face. I held back a chuckle as I looked to the rest of the team for an explanation.

"Both Tanaka and Nishinoya have a love for our manager Kiyoko. They're always treating her like a goddess or something." Sawamura explained. "It's honestly a little amusing at tines like this." Suga added. I smiled warmly at the team. _I think I'm gonna like Karasuno._

•|•|•

I had left shortly after meeting them since they had practise. I looked through all the new contacts on my phone. On my way back to my apartment, I came across the same convenience store that I had seen the night before, the name Sakanoshita perched on the roof. I shrugged before entering the mini market.

The quaint store was small but had plenty of shelves stocked with goods. I made my way quickly to the cold drinks and glanced through. I spotted the familiar claw-like emblem that graces every Monster™ can fairly quickly and began to grab at least five cans of the Peach Tea flavour. I take my things to the front counter and a nice old woman smiled at me.

"Hello, dear. Is that all that you want, today?" She asked, scanning all of my energy drinks. "No, that would be all, thank you."

"Okay, that will total up to ¥1,043.27." She said. I sweatdropped and scratched the back of my neck awkwardly. "Do you take card or American currency?" I asked.

_I completely forgot to change my money over to their currency. I hope the places around here will accept my money until I can get it changed..._

The old woman gave me a warm expression. "Oh don't fret, I like to collect foreign money!" She beamed. I sighed with relief. I took out my phone and quickly put in to google how much yen would equal in to American money. I handed her $9.75 in American dollars. She takes it and the change and places it aside instead of putting it in her register. She bagged my things and handed me the plastic bag. "Thank you so much, ma'am." I said, bowing. "Oh no, thank you for coming! It's always nice to have such nice children visiting my shop. Have a nice day, sweetie." She said, giving me a sweet smile. "You too, miss."

With that said, I exited the shop and made my way home. On the way, I began to wonder what I could do for a small choreography during the recruitment showcase.

_Well, IF the principal allows me to form a guard. It should probably be nothing more than 2 minutes... Maybe I could take something from my old marching band shows..? No, if I take out a small portion, it won't make sense._

I pondered to myself quietly the entire way home. Fishing out the keys that were on my bag, I unlocked the apartment door and was quickly met with the terrible two.

"Hey Zig, Zag. Did you two behave?" I baby talked the twins. Ziggles sat down like a dog while Zaggles had wandered over by the food bowl. He stared expectantly at me, and I sighed in exhaustion. "Fine, you little demon, you can eat." I took out my phone and opened up Spotify. I put my music on shuffle as I grabbed Zag's bag of food. I filled his bowl and gave Zig a small treat. With them both eating, I put the bag of ferret food back away in the pantry as I hummed to the song. An idea suddenly came into my head.

"I could use this for the showcase! I'll need to edit it though, I don't wanna take too long."

With that said, I grabbed my old laptop and opened up google. I quickly downloaded my chosen song as a different song began playing on Spotify. I opened the audio editing application and got to work.

×|×|×

The black-haired male put his pen down before sighing in exhaustion. He craned his neck momentarily before stepping away from his desk and stared at a picture that rested there. He smirked slightly before exiting his office.

"Oi, where are you heading, man? Did you finish the latest chapter of Beyblade Shogun Steel?" Another artist asked as he headed towards the door. "Yeah, it's done. Could you let the head know that I'm gonna be out for the next week? I wanna go visit my sister." He responded casually. His friend sighed in exasperation. "All right, but your fans aren't gonna be happy with you not publishing anything next week."

The popular manga artist waved off his friend. "They'll live, I'll send out a tweet later that it's a family matter." His friend deadpanned as the short man exited the office. He smirked to himself while grabbing his phone and setting directions to two different schools.

"Good thing I asked them if it was okay for them to leave for a few days, I knew they would want to see her."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologise this chapter took so long to get out, and that it's shorter than the first two! Schoolwork piles up pretty quickly, and I've also been jugging college applications. Another thing to note is that some chapters will probably take longer to get out because I have decided to fully include colour guard choreography into this. That requires me to choose and edit out certain songs myself. For certain scenes such as the upcoming extracurricular showcase, I am IRL creating a small choreographed performances throughout the story that I will perform myself and post on social media and Youtube! I also want the song choices to be chronologically correct so I am only using songs that were released prior to the time of fall 2012, which is when Haikyuu took place. I've put a lot of effort and research into this, so I ask you all that have enjoyed this so far to please bear with me and be patient
> 
> I love you all and thank you for the kudos, comments and even just the views that you've given Winter Roses. It definitely helps me stay motivated! ^^
> 
> I have not yet made the Youtube channel, but the Instagram profile I will upload on will be "@smollish_lotus_official". Thanks again for your support so far! :))


	4. •| Meeting |•

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Friendly reminder;
> 
> Italicized words mean [Y/N]'s thoughts, and bold text means someone else over the phone.  
> The spacing with "•|•|•" means a simple timeskip and spacing with "×|×|×" means a point of view change (and sometimes a timeskip too). :))

I vigorously tapped my fingers against the desk to a few students' annoyance. I had briefly met with Suga and Sawamura before class, and Suga had confirmed a time for us to meet after school for our meeting.

Yesterday was heavily spent practising and brainstorming nonstop. By the end of the day I only had the first 16 counts of the song. Still, it was progress. Having the meeting today, which determines whether Karasuno will have a guard team, affected my concentration in class. To say I was nervous would be an understatement.

I suddenly felt a pair of fingers gently poking my head. I looked to see Suga grinned lightly at me before gesturing towards the classroom. I looked around to see that class had ended and most students had left. My face turned red in embarrassment as I quickly scrambled to gather my things.

"Suga! I'm so sorry, I didn't get much sleep last night, I was working on homework, and then I had to take care of my gremlin ferrets, and—" Suga poked my head, succeeding in gaining my attention. He chuckled before saying, "Hey, don't worry about it. We have about five minutes until our meeting, if you want to leave your things in our club room." He offered, giving me a gentle smile. I nodded before following him out of the classroom.

"Did Sawamura leave earlier?" I asked. Suga nodded. "Yeah. While you were spaced out, he decided to go on ahead to the club to get ready for practise this afternoon. Oh, and don't worry! I'm only the vice captain and we have another person in my position, so don't think you're taking my time away from volleyball." He said rather quickly. I blinked a few times before shaking my head.

"Thanks for letting me know, but you shouldn't sell yourself so short, Suga." I stated blatantly. His eyes trailed to me in surprise as I continued. "You're still a part of your team. It doesn't matter if you're a regular or an alternate, you're still a part of your team. You're still there for them to be switched in if they need you, and you're also their moral support. You matter. It doesn't matter how insignificant you think you are, you're important. Don't ever doubt that, Suga."

The silver-haired student stood in silence. I began to think I spoke out of place until he patted my head. "I didn't know I needed to hear that until you said it. Thank you, [Y/N]." He said, his eyes softening. I grinned as we got to the club room. I basically threw my things in a secluded corner, and the two of us made our way back towards the school.

•|I'm Sorry I Can't Think of Dialogue ;w;|•

Suga and I left the office and I had some newfound motivation. From what had transpired during the meeting, the only requirements I was given in order for guard to be official was for there to be at least ten members minimum. He said that I had up to a week after the pep rally to have the required members and he would make it official.

Suga flinched in surprise as I had slapped my hands on my cheeks all of a sudden. "All right, time to get to work!" I exclaimed, a determined look on my face. Suga laughed lightly at my enthusiasm and we soon made our way back to the club room. I turned back and bowed to Suga in appreciation. "Thank you for providing me with this opportunity, Suga!"

He held his hands and shook them in front of himself, his cheeks turning a light pink. "Don't worry about it, I was more than happy to do that for you!" He said, running a nervous hand through his hair. "Also if you ever want to... you're more than welcome to leave your equipment in here so that you don't have to go home to get it every day..." He shyly offered. My grin widened at his proposal. I grabbed his hands and shook them profusely. "Thank you, Suga! That would make things a lot easier for me." I said. "I'll be back in a little bit, I have to grab my equipment from home and feed my children."

Suga nodded before he took a double take. "Wait, c-children?!"

I nodded, a little confused by his apprehension. "Yeah, my two kids, Ziggles and Zaggles. They're needy little ferrets, but they're my babies and I wouldn't trade the world for them." I explained. As soon as Suga heard the word "ferret", his surprise turned into relief. I waved goodbye to him for the moment as I raced back home to my needy "kids".

•|•|•

As I drew closer to the Karasuno gymnasium, I began to hear quite a commotion. My curiosity sparked as I jogged nearer and I began to hear at least four somewhat familiar voices over Hinata's shouts and I could swear I heard the word "giant". I shuffled the flag bag to my left side as I reached the gym doors. I struggled slightly to open the door but was quickly successful and walked inside.

Most of the team was huddled around a group of five other students, blocking my view. I tilted my head in confusion. 

"Hey, guys, what's going on?" I asked, gaining everyone's attention. One unfamiliar and three familiar faces emerged from the huddle and my own brightened in happiness. "Bo! Kenny! Tetsu!" I exclaimed, dropping my bag to the ground and running towards the group. I jumped straight into a group hug with the boys with Bo holding me as I wrapped my legs securely around his waist. The rest of Karasuno watched the interaction in curiosity as Bo let me down. The unfamiliar face got closer and I smiled at him too.

"[Y/N], who are they? We know Kuroo and Kozume, but what about the other two? How do you know them?" Kageyama asked me, a look of genuine curiosity on his normally scowling face. I looked back to see that the rest of the team was looking at us in confusion. I laughed before turning back to face the team.

"Sorry about that, y'all. These are some childhood friends! You said you already knew Tetsu and Kenny so no introductions needed. This is Bokuto Kōtarō from Fukurodani and... Bo, who might I ask is this?" I turned to face the new face.

"That's Akaashi, he's my best friend!" Bo said, slapping the ravenet on the back. The soft-spoken male nodded in return, giving Bo a small smile. "Well, it's a pleasure to know that someone looks after my favourite owl." I said, holding my hand out for Akaashi to shake. We shook hands briefly before looking back at the group.

"So, what are you all doing here? It's a school-day, and if you're still into volleyball as much as you were when we were younger, you should be practising with your teams!" I exclaimed. Tetsurō gave me a smirk.

"Well, Chibi-Chan, a certain someone picked us up yesterday and offered to bring us here while he visited you again." He said, ruffling my hair affectionately before pointing towards the back of the group. I noticed Coach Ukai talking to a shocking familiar figure and only once he turned to face me, my face morphed into pure happiness.

"Hey, shrimp." He said, a smile on his face, but right as he finished the sentence I was already tackling him to the ground. "Big Brother, you came to see me!"

The entire Karasuno team stared at us in shock before Hinata screamed, "YOU'RE THE LITTLE GIANT'S YOUNGER SISTER?!" I looked up from my bear hug to see Hinata's excited and dumbstruck expression. I looked back up from my bear hug and gave him a cheeky grin. I got off my brother and helped him to his feet and we stood side by side.

"Yep, we're siblings! I would be surprised you didn't know, but I'm pretty sure all of Karasuno referred to him as his nickname rather than his actual given name. Also, I don't really think it helped matters that you refused to socialise with anyone outside of the volleyball team," I teased, jabbing him in the side. He rolled his eyes before he felt a sudden glare from me.

"So, what are you doing here? Why aren't you back writing the next chapter for Beyblade Shogun Steel?" I interrogated, pointing an accusing finger at him. Most of Karasuno as well as Bo, Akaashi, and Tetsu stared at me in confusion. Kenny gave me a gentle knowing smile as I stared down my older sibling. He held his hands up in defence.

"Whoa there, shrimp, I didn't know you still read that manga, let alone know I'm the current author." He said nervously. Most of the group remained silent until Hinata piped up. "Beyblade? Isn't that a toy and animated series for little k—" Hinata's sentence was cut off as Kenny slapped a hand over his mouth as I delivered a swift chop to my brother's head. Silence filled the room as I glowered at my older sibling.

"Of course I knew, you know I've been collecting the manga and signed Beyblades since I was a kid! Why didn't you ever tell me about this? I was ecstatic to learn that my own brother was writing the current Beyblade series, you dolt! You know how I found out? I bought a first edition copy and it had your goddamn signature and name on the cover! That of all things! Now, I don't care how long you and the others are staying, but you better know I'm gonna watch you like a hawk to make sure you at least spend SOME time with the next chapter, mister!" I scolded him. The room remained silent besides Bo's small giggles and my brother's nervous laughter.

"Alright, shrimp, you got me there. However, that does raise a question I was gonna ask.." Tenma trailed off, scratching his neck awkwardly. A bad feeling hit me in the pit of my stomach, and I 'tsk'ed. "What, you dummy?"

"Would it be OK with you... If we stayed at your place while we're visiting..?" He asked, an innocent look on his face. I gave him my "are you kidding me" look, and the other four surrounded me, Tetsu and Bo giving me the same pathetic look. I groaned before smacking all three of the pouting men across the head. "Fine, just don't make a mess."

Tenma picked me up and spun me around a few times. "Thanks, little sister, I owe you!" He laughed. I huffed before struggling free from his grasp. "You could've said 'I love you' instead." I grumbled, ignoring him and turning back to grab my flag bag that I had dropped upon entering.

"Sugs, if the door's unlocked, I'm gonna go ahead and drop my bag in there. I don't think I'll be able to choreograph anything now." I said, turning to exit the gym. I saw my brother's mouth open. "You'll find out in due time, Brother." I continued, cutting him off before he could say anything.

After promptly leaving my bag in the volleyball team's club room, I went back to the gym and found all of the boys still conversing between each other. I sighed in defeat before walking back the group and dragged my brother, Tetsu and Bo by the ears.

"I thought you would've gotten the hint that we're LEAVING. They need to practise." I huffed, dragged the men out of the gymnasium. Akaashi and Kenny followed behind like civil human beings, leaving the team to ponder about the entire group dynamic we shared.

•|•|•

I unlocked the door to my apartment and the boys followed me in. I left my phone on the counter before turning back around to face the five.

"Alright, I don't have much room in this apartment so everyone is dividing up. Kenny and Akaashi, y'all can take the couch. It folds out into a mattress. Bo and Tetsu, you can join the bed with me like when we were kids. Sorry but I'm not moving out of my own bed." I said, staring at the boys. Brother grabbed my shoulder and turned me towards him, glaring at Bo and Tetsu.

"Little sis, why don't I take the bed with you? I don't trust those two." He said to me quietly, still giving the pair the stink eye. Bo laughed giddily while Tetsu rolled his eyes. I scoffed and turned my head. "My home, my rules."

"Then where am I supposed to sleep?!" He exclaimed. I shrugged. "Guess you could sleep in the bathroom," I said, waving him off. He gave me a pathetic look and I laughed. "Kidding, brother. Geez, lighten up. I have an air mattress around so you can use that."

All of a sudden I heard scampering on the floor and soon enough a pair of fluff noodles came bounding out of my room. Bo screeched before jumping into Akaashi's arms in fear while the rest of the group watched the two. Zaggles squeaked and darted under the couch from Bo's cries while Ziggles just blinked at him.

"Oh yeah, those are the twins! They're my children so if you hurt them, I'll hurt your life." I stated matter-of-factly. Bo dropped down out of Akaashi's arms hesitantly as the rest of the group began to settle in.

Nightfall came quickly and the majority of the group had settled around the TV, playing and/or watching others play Mario Kart© on my Wii console. A McDonald's bag and several burger wrappers littered the coffee table as Kenny was winning the current race with a tired Ziggles in his lap. I stood up after awhile and gathered our trash into a single bag. I exited my apartment for a moment to throw it away in the complex dumpster.

Upon reentering my apartment, I stretched my limbs as I began to head back to my bathroom. "I'm gonna wash up and get ready to sleep. Y'all better not peep on me, Zag is gonna be my guard ferret." I said, Zaggles following me obediently.

I didn't wash my hair and kept my wash under five minutes. I left the bathroom with an oversized hoodie and joggers on. I peeked out into the living room to see that the boys had started watching Kenny play a copy of my save file of Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess™. I smiled lightly as my brother noticed me and came over by my side.

"Tell the rest that the shower is open if any of them wanna clean up tonight. I'm gonna head to bed, I still have school tomorrow." I said, leaning in on my brother. He nodded before kissing me on the forehead.

"All right, kiddo. See ya in the morning." He murmured before heading back to the group. With that said, I walked back into my room and settled into bed. I drifted off into sleep as I heard Bo yelling from the other room something about a man with a "weird ass bug mask".

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The showcase choreography was put on hold because of exams and I am also currently trying to hopefully get a Christmas special chapter out too. Sorry about the wait, and I hope you enjoyed! And I'm sorry the pacing is all over the place, this isn't my personal best, and quite honestly it's more of a filler chapter. 
> 
> Kuroo, Bokuto, and Kozume are all childhood friends! With this, there are a few minor timeline changes, such as the fact that the Karasuno volleyball has now met Bokuto and Akaashi before the Tokyo Training Arc. Also, did any of you recognise the Udai name? Really big Haikyuu fanfiction trope of Reader being the Little Giant's sibling, I know. And technically he didn't start writing manga until later, but y'know this is my work and I can little changes here and there haha
> 
> Anyways, thanks for reading and I hope you have a great morning/day/evening/night! :))


	5. ×| Winter Roses Christmas Special |×

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did I literally stay up until 2:18am my time to publish this on Christmas day? Yes, yes I did and I regret nothing. I have a moral support cat right next to me and a can of Peach Tea Monster. I hope you enjoy this! It may just be a fun filler special, but I had the most fun writing this after exams were over! I'll explain some of the activities and gifts in the end notes ;)

I winced as I looked out the window, the blanket of white blinding me at 9 in the morning. It was Christmas Eve and with school being out, I had no plans to go outside into the cold weather. The Elite Four and my brother had come over again during the break and were passed out in the main room, an incomplete game of Mario Party™ paused on the TV. I took another drink of my coffee I had made when I first woke up 30 minutes ago until I heard a scratching noise. 

I looked over to identify the source of the scratching and I saw that both Ziggles and Zaggles were at the front door, scratching away. I groaned, glaring death at the two. "Y'all, there's SNOW out there. It's cold, you don't wanna be outside today." I attempted to reason. Obviously since they didn't speak human, they gave no attention to me whatsoever, and continued the claw at the door. I sighed in defeat and walked back to grab their leashes and a coat. "Fine you demons, we'll go outside, just stop scratching before you leave marks on the door!" I grumbled, heading towards the hallway closet to grab a heavy jacket. I also grabbed two smaller ferret jackets and turned back around. 

I approached the twins, their harnesses and jackets in hand as I layered up my clothes. They obediently let me strap them up and stared at me afterwards. I quickly jotted a note down and left it on the fridge, letting the boys know I had left with the kids on a walk. Nodding to myself, I opened the door and left with the twins. 

A cold blast of wind came barreling at my face, and I shivered in response. The twins, however, payed no heed to the cold and began to prance through the snow. I rolled my eyes at the two before beginning to lead them on our normal route. I pulled my The Office beanie further onto my head, shivering slightly while the pair basically dragged me along. 

"[Y/N]? Is that you?" A voice called out. I looked up to see Sawamura approaching me. My mood instantly brightened at the familiar face while the kids watched him in curiosity.

"Sawamura! Fancy seeing you here." I said, closing the distance between us to talk easier. He shook his head, smiling lightly. "[Y/N], I told you to call me by my first name. Or do you want me to call you Udai instead?" He teased lightly. I scratched my neck, grinning. "All right, I admit that you got me there." I said playfully. He grinned. "Anyways, what are you doing out today?" He asked. 

"These two wanted to play in the snow," I said, gesturing to the ferrets buried in the snow. He glanced at the twins and they both looked up at him. "The white one with smokey patterns and the black jacket on is Ziggles. The Black one with white patterns and the white jacket is Zaggles." I informed him. The two began to wrap around his legs and I huffed in annoyance. 

"I'm sorry about them, I swear sometimes they're dogs that were borne in ferret bodies." I said, chuckling lightly. He reached down and gently lifted Ziggles into his arms. She instantly made herself comfy in his arms and my heart melted at the sight. "I'm not positive, but I think she likes you," I giggled, picking up her brother. "So what are you doing out?" I asked him back, going to stand next to him. 

"I was out getting coffee at a nearby gas station." He explained and only then did I actually noticed the cup he held in his hand. 

"I would invite you over, but at the moment my place is kinda... Well... Bo, Tetsu, Aka, Kenny, and my brother came over for the holidays and when I left, they were still passed out in the living room." I explained, sweatdropping. 

"Don't worry about it. Tanaka is having a Christmas party amongst the team today. You and the others are invited to come if you want." He offered. My smile brightened. "Of course! Could you send his address and what time we should be there?" I asked. "Yeah ill text it to ya. Most of the team plans to arrive by 3." 

"Thanks for the invite, Daichi!" I said, giving him a warm smile. I hoped that he couldn't notice my cheeks warming up as I began to head back in the direction of my home. He followed back, Zig still in arms. "I'll walk back with you, my place is in this direction too." He said, a warm grin on his face. I nodded and we made the small trek back to my apartment. Within minutes I was back at my doorstep and he gently placed Zig back on the ground. She almost seemed to pout but soon joined her brother, waiting at the door. I turned back to Daichi and waved. 

"I'll see you later!" I said, clutching the twin's leashes. He bid me goodbye and I went back in my apartment to find the group still out cold. I sighed before walking around to the kitchen area. I grabbed a metal spoon and a frying pan from a cabinet and the twins instantly knew my plan, running away to the safety of my room. 

The boys were given a very rude awakening at 10 in the morning as I banged the two objects together. Kenny and Aka were the least disturbed and sat up quite calmly. On the other hand, Bo and Tetsu jolted awake and my brother actually screamed. I held back my laughter as I quit and put the kitchen utensils back in their place. Three out of five glared at me and I smirked. 

"Get dressed, losers. We're going to a party this afternoon." I said nonchalantly, ignoring the glares that three of five boys were giving me. Suddenly, I felt my phone vibrate in my back pocket. I grabbed it and opened up to see that Daichi had indeed texted me the address of Tanaka. I smiled before texting him back "thanks! :)" and leaving my phone on the counter. 

"I'll make us all some brunch, all right? I can also make coffee for you guys, what do you want?" I asked the group. "Black, no sugar or creamer." Kenny murmured to me. Aka requested the same. 

"You two drink black? What the hell is wrong with you guys?" Tetsu sweatdropped, confused at the two's 'soulless' taste. I gave him a deadpanned look. "I drink black too, idiot. Just grab what you want, it's in the cabinet." I sighed, grabbing the plain coffee beans and began making the two quiet ones' source of life. He gave us his "what's wrong with you" look before shrugging and grabbing a caramel mocha package out of the cabinet. Bo and Brother grabbed their preferred flavours as well while I began to get the hotcake mix. 

About 30 minutes later, the six of us were all around the coffee table, having Spongebob Squarepants on the TV while eating eggs and hotcakes. Most of the boys just stared at the cartoon sponge milking a jellyfish in utter confusion while I smiled at the show I have grown to love while in the Americas. I finished my meal before standing up. 

"Let's try to leave for Tanaka's party in the next hour or so. Get dressed, and be ready by then." I said, going back to my room to grab my DS. Kenny watched me come back out in curiosity as I opened the game device to Pokémon Black Version™. 

"So you got Black, huh? Wanna trade?" He asked, grabbing his own dark blue DS. He showed me that he had the opposite game and my face brightened. "Yes, please! There's some that I still need to complete the Regional Dex that are only found in your version. Wanna trade my Mandibuzz for your Braviary?" 

The group watched the two of us nerd out and got ready themselves.

•|•|•

An hour later with me and Kenny having traded over several Pokémon, the lot of us were at the front door of Tanaka's place. I knocked on the door and it opened to reveal Hinata in a hideous Christmas sweater. His smile widened at the six of us as he opened the door to let us in. "Guys, [Y/N] and the rest are here!" He shouted, capturing the rest of Karasuno's attention. The group all dropped what they were doing to gather around the door entrance and greet us all. The third years moved to greet me while the others were giving and receiving hugs. 

"Hey, glad you could make it!" Daichi said, patting me affectionately on the back. Suga and Azumane both gave me head pats and led me and the others further into the home. Christmas decorations were all around, while the TV was clearly paused on a game. Noya slapped my back, giving me a toothy grin. 

"You and the guys arrived at a good time! We were just getting ready to build gingerbread houses!" He said, gesturing to the kitchen area. I saw Tanaka's smiling parents pass by, coats in hand. "We'll be going out so you kids can have fun! Ryū, please don't destroy the house, and hope you all have a wonderful time!" They said, making their leave. Tanaka saluted before turning back to the majority of us. 

"We only have three gingerbread house kits, so we'll all divide up. Here," He grabbed a piece of paper and a sharpie and wrote us down all by year. 

_ Third Years: _

_Daichi Asahi [Y/N]_

_Suga Kiyoko _

_ Second Years: _

_Noya Ennosita Me!!!!!_

_Narita Kinoshita _

_ First Years: _

_Tsukishima Hinata_

_Kageyama Yamaguchi _

"Two groups are larger than the rest and we have to count the other five, so Kuroo and Kenma will join the first years, Tenma will be with the third years and Bokuto and Akaashi will join us." He said, grinning at his sorting. "And the only reason why we have one more than the rest of you is because we're hopeless and need an extra brain cell." He stated. The rest of us didn't buy it but remained silent. 

"We all will be given an hour to build and decorate our group's house." Tanaka said. A tall woman who ~~_**(was pretty hot not gonna lie)**_~~ stood close to him spoke after. "And I'll be timing and judging! I see a few new faces here. Nice to meet the rest of you, I'm little Ryū's older sister, Saeko!" She introduced herself. My brother and I shared a glance before he looked to Saeko. 

"It's good to see you again, Saeko. I must ask, for this competition, is sabotage against the rules?" He asked her, an evil glint in his green eyes. She smirked before answering. "Good to see you again too, Tenny. I like the way you think; sabotage is allowed as long as you don't get caught!" She declared. The third years glanced at me and my brother as a menacing aura began to surround us. 

"Without any further ado, you have one hour. Ready, go!" 

All groups instantly tore open the gingerbread house kits. My brother and I shared a glance before he reached his foot out. Noya, who was unfortunate enough to be the nearest person at the moment, tripped and fell face first on the ground. He instantly got back up and turned to glare at our group while Suga and Kiyoko were beginning to make the foundation of our house with the frosting. 

"What the hell was that for?!" He yelled, glaring at us. I gave him an innocent look. "What? You sure you didn't just trip on air or something? I do that all the time." I suggested as my brother craftily snatched one of their frostings. He huffed before turning back to his own group. I high-fived my brother as he hid the bottle in his pocket. 

"That should slow them down considerably." He mumbled to me as I aided Azumane with putting the roof on. "Should we do the same to the first years?" He asked. I glanced back at their table and snorted before turning to my brother. 

They're already sabotaging themselves." I said, chuckling. He turned to watch them and struggled to keep his laughter in. I glanced back again to see that Kageyama and Tsukishima were fighting over who would make the foundation of the house. Yams was nervously trying to diffuse the argument (and failing because he was too timid) and Hinata began eating the wall. 

"We'll be fine now, let's just focus on making ours the best it can be!" I told him, and together we helped our group build our house.

•|•|•

"Uhhh.... What happened?" Saeko asked, glancing at all of us. No one could answer how the kitchen was littered with frosting, nor how everyone had some level of a mix of frosting and sprinkles on each other. "Maybe we should've left this activity for last..." 

"Let's at least do some karaoke before the end of the night!" I said, noticing the Bluetooth speaker and mic in the living room. I grabbed Kenma's arm and pulled him to the side slightly while the others turned the device on. 

"Hey... Do you know... THAT song?" I whispered. He gave me a small smile. "If it's what I think you're talking about, then yes." I nodded and volunteered for the first song. The third years glanced at me in curiosity. I mouthed to them "you'll see" before I connected my phone and selected an instrumental version of our song from YouTube. A familiar guitar riff opens the song and half of the team began cheering before joining us up in the bare opening. Daichi and Suga gave each other confused looks while Azumane shook his head, a smile on his face. 

"I WANNA BE THE VERY BEST THAT NO ONE EVER WAS!" 

I led the song with Noya, Tanaka, and Hinata practically screaming the lyrics out. Kenma was a lot more softspoken, but continued as well. Daichi froze in his spot while Suga began full on cackling. "EACH POKÉMON TO UNDERSTAND THE POWER THAT'S INSIIIIDDDDEEEEEEEE!" 

As the chorus began, I moved up to the soprano notes while the rest began genuinely singing instead of screaming. "OHHHH, YOU'RE MY BEST FRIEND IN A WORLD WE MUST DEFEEEEENNNNDDD!" 

The song cut short as Brother took my phone and paused the video. I was about to protest but he shushed me. "Sis, you're not gonna be able to do any other songs if you keep screaming with the first one." I remained silent for a moment until his point clicked in my head. I scratched my neck awkwardly. "Yeah, you got a point there. Wait, you wanna do a song?" I asked him. He blinked before shrugging. "Sure, but what's a song that we both know?" 

"You remember bingeing Fullmetal before you left for college?" I asked him. He thought a moment before it clicked. He searched up again on my phone and pulled up an instrumental of YUI's popular song. I whispered something into his ears as the rest of the team sat back down. He nodded in agreement before I began the song.

**Kono omoi wo keshite shimau ni wa**

**Mada jinsei nagai desho**

**Yari nokoshiteru koto yarinaoshite mitai kara**

The guitar of the anime edit rang out as most of the team began to recognise the iconic song. Brother began the next set of lyrics.

**Yume no tsuzuki oikaketeita hazu na noni**

**Magarikunetta hosoi michi hito ni tsumazuku**

It was my turn for lyrics and I surprised the group with the English version.

**I'm tired of trying to achieve what I've left behind**

**It is better to redefine**

**What I've lived for**

**The past is gone**

**My friend, it's feeling like the old days**

**But I'll damned if I let the absence of innocence ever**

**Hold me back**

The two of us took the microphone and kept switching between each other during the rap.

**Tsumi no saigo wa namida ja nai yo**

**Zutto kurushiku seotte kunda**

**I'm sick and tired of feeling as a victim**

**What am I waiting for now**

**Shiroi NOOTO ni tsuzutta you ni**

**Motto sunao ni hakidashitai yo**

**Can't escape**

**No returning back now**

**Genjitsutte yatsu ka (This is reality)**

With the chorus, we switched our languages and he sang English while I had the original.

**And to the night sky**

**I scream out my crimes**

**Trying the will away this guilty plea**

**This is my wish**

**Bunan ni nante yatterarenai kara**

**Kaeru basho mo nai no**

**Yasashisa ni wa itsumo kansha shiteru**

**Dakara tsuyoku naritai**

**I'm on the way**

**Be friend or foe, I**

**Konna itami mo kangei jan (Welcome anyone who can challenge me)**

As soon as the song ended, the team began cheering us on and Brother and I fistbumped each other. We sat back down as Tanaka took the microphone. Daichi came close to me as many of the team got up to sing jingle bells to end the night. 

"I didn't know you could sing, nor your brother!" He whisper-shouted. I giggled before responding. "I was a theatre and choir kid during my middle school years. With him, I forced him to go to musicals with me. And to explain how we knew Again, we used to binge watch Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood so much that we would literally sing the opening word for word every time!" I exclaimed as Tanaka, Noya and Ennoshita began the song. He nodded in acknowledgement. 

"Well, you have an amazing voice. You should join Karasuno's choir if you have any time in between your guard season." He suggested as Suga sang the last part before the chorus of the song. My cheeks darkened slightly and I was about to respond before someone else interrupted me. 

"JINGLE BELLS JINGLE BELLS," Kageyama was... I wouldn't even call it singing, it was so aggressive. The moment quickly died as I held back an ugly snort. Yamaguchi followed with a much softer and cute voice. Tsuki and Kiyoko finished on a much calmer note as I managed to calm down. "Is Kags always that... Well... Stiff?" I asked in between breathes. Daichi laughed a little before responding with a heavy yes. "When he first joined the team, I had to kick him and Hinata out of the gym until he could admit that he could work as a team player!" 

Before I could even begin to completely lose it, Hinata suggested a snowball fight before we all went home. Everyone agreed and we soon went bounding outside. I grabbed Azumane and Suga's wrists and beckoned the rest of the third years over to me and Brother's side as we went out. They joined our little group huddle and I explained a plan. 

"We all group together. Each of us targets a different group. Bo, Tetsu, Kiyoko; you all target the first years. Daichi, Suga, Azumane—" 

"You don't need to be formal, [Y/N], Asahi is fine!" 

"Sorry about that! Asahi, Daichi and Suga will all attack the second years. Brother and I.. Well, we have our own agenda. Got the plan?" They all nodded and even Kiyoko, who was normally the calm and collected one out of our grade group, looked excited. We split up and Brother and I began the assault by hurling a snowball at Tsukishima's face. The look on his face, I never so badly wished I had my phone out to take a picture because it was priceless. He silently reached down to the ground and at almost lightning speed, launched a counter attack back at us. 

Thus, the snowball fight began. Everything was a blur. White was being thrown back and forth on Tanaka's lawn as everyone, even the normal passive ones likes Kiyoko, Kenny, and Akaashi became complete monsters on the snowball field. 

I had placed myself behind a bush for cover and soon Asahi found my spot and joined me. 

"I never would have imagined we would be acting like primary children and playing these games again!" He exclaimed, a bright smile on his face. It warmed my heart to see the normally shy giant having so much fun. I wanted to snuff that feeling out. 

I grabbed a fistful of snow and before he could notice the evil glint in my eyes, I shoved it all in his face before running away. "NEVER TRUST ANYONE IN A SNOWBALL WAR!" 

He quickly got me back by tackling me in the snow. Not long after, we called it quits as everyone went their separate ways before the storm worsened. Soon, only my group and the third years were left as we got ready to go home. Brother already began to drive with the Elite Four back to my place as I bid the others goodbye. I was about to pull out of Tanaka's driveway when Daichi waved me down. I took off my helmet as Asahi, Daichi and Suga all spoke. 

"We have presents for you, [Y/N]. All three of us sent your gifts back with Tenma since we noticed you came by motorbike, but please open them tonight, okay?" 

A gentle smile was on my face while all of the boys avoided my gaze in embarrassment. I gave them all forehead pokes, grinning widely. "I will, don't worry. You didn't have to though, but I thank you all. You damn well better be expecting something back from me!" 

I didn't even let them respond as I put my helmet back on and began to back out. "I WON'T TAKE 'NO' FOR AN ANSWER, LOVE YOU BOYS!" I shouted as I drove down the street, not knowing the effect my words had on them.

×|×|×

[Y/N] arrived home to find her brother and the Elite Four passed out around her main room, cans of Raspberry Ale littered around them. She found the three packages from the third year boys neatly set on the counter, all labeled by each boy. She closed the front door and maneuvered herself around the mass of bodies. 

She took the packages and quickly went back to her room. Two were relatively the same size, and one was considerably bigger. With that in mind, she chose the first to open at random. It was Suga's gift. The wrapping paper used was very elegant looking, with an intricate bow to top. She carefully unwrapped it to find a box that read "Chameleon". She opened it and gasped to find a beautiful necklace. She took it out to see that there were several charms that could be interchanged with the center pendant. A card was also in the box.

_[Y/N],_

_Merry Christmas! I know we haven't known each other long, but I'm so glad I met you! I hope we can make more memories through this year, and I hope you enjoy your gift!_

_Sugawara Koushi 🤍_

She smiled at the heartwarming note before moving on to the next gift. Asahi's was very cutesy to say the least. Covered with chibi bears wearing Santa hats, she giggled at the adorable nature of the tall third year. She tore it open the find that the box inside contained Pokémon plushies, specifically of Umbreon, Mew and Zorua. She silently squealed as a note fell out of his gift as well.

_Dear Udai-Sama,_

_I have never met anyone quite like you. You're one of the few people who haven't been scared of me when first met and I have to thank you so much. You made me feel like a normal person and that's something I will always cherish. I hope you have a great rest of the year, and please always feel free to text me!_

_Sincerely yours, Azumane Asahi 🐻🏐_

Her heart melted at his little doodle of a bear and a volleyball at the end of his letter. She set the plushies and his letter next to Suga's gift as she moved on to the final gift, the one from Daichi. His wrapping was a perfect blend of the cutesy style of Asahi's and the professional and elegant flare of Suga's. The wrapping paper had cats with sweaters on while a neat bow sat on top. She opened the gift without haste to find a beanie with the Triforce symbol ironed on. Upon further inspection, there was a box that held a necklace inside. She took it out and found that a ring was around the chain, reading "I'm a sexy pork cutlet bowl." She held back a chuckle as she found a final note from the captain himself.

_[Y/N],_

_I only asked for what kind of gift you might like, and your brother told me a whole list of anime series you enjoyed, all from most to least enjoyed along with the genre, lol! I can definitely see the family resemblance with your wild personality, and I can't wait to get to know you better. I hope you enjoyed your gifts!_

_Sawamura Daichi :)_

[Y/N] looked at all of the gifts from the third year boys she had grown attached to, a smile on her face. She looked into the corner of her room to the boxes of promise rings she planned to give them, the matching one to each set on her necklace. She took the chain off and carefully set it on her nightstand before grabbing the Mew plushie and bundled herself in the blankets. 

"Thank you boys... Merry Christmas..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. Pokémon. Pokémon Black Version was actually my very first Pokémon game and videogame I got altogether! Even now, I still grab my DS from time to time just to play it and I will say that in all future Pokémon games, I never go anywhere without a Braviary on my team (if it's available in game, of course).
> 
> 2\. Saeko is hot. As a pan, when I first saw Saeko I had to do a double take because damn she's hot lmao
> 
> 3\. Fullmetal Alchemist. In the last few weeks as I procrastinated choreography work and writing and studying, I spent time finally watching Fullmetal Alchemist and FMA: Brotherhood and damn I'm mad at myself for putting off watching that amazing series for so long! The storybuilding and everything was phenomenal and I wish I watched it sooner!
> 
> 4\. Gifts. Suga's was inspired by this bracelet a family friend got me as a senior gift. Asahi's was because I literally have so many Pokémon and Pusheen and really any kind of plushie/stuffed animals in my room. Daichi's was after a beanie I bought at Hot Topic awhile back and the rings were inspired by a pair of rings I actually got me and another anime fan friend of mine. I have the "I'm a sexy pork cutlet bowl" ring and she has the "I love pork cutlet bowls" ring. We both loved watching Yuri!!! on Ice and we're excited for the new movie!
> 
> Also, in case you didn't notice, I gave Daichi a lot of time with the Reader since Asahi and Suga took up most of the reader's time in the first four chapters. Daichi is my guy and he deserves some love too!
> 
> That's all the little cutout information I have for you guys, I hope you have a wonderful Christmas! I'll be posting a very important note on New Years, so make sure to check back. I love you guys!


	6. ×| Happy 2021/Announcement |×

Happy new year, guys! Hopefully this coming year will be a lot better than the last, and I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and New Year! 

Anyways, on to the announcements. 

I need original characters. I already know a few canonical characters in Haikyuu that I want on the winterguard team and I have plenty of original characters myself, but I want you to interact as well! If you have an original character and would like them to be in, DM me on my Instagram, personal or my official for choreography (I'll put a link below)! Even if you want to insert yourself with a name change [for privacy :)], I'm all for that too! Just simply give me a brief description of how they look, their pronouns, and their personality! Please be specific, as I want it to seem as if you were with me, helping me capture your character, fullt genuine. If you need help, I have plenty of templates I've made and used to create my own original characters :) 

Another thing I would like to discuss is the endgame. I'm hoping to keep this under 30 chapters and that is very subject to change, but there's a matter of who the endgame character will be, as this is a love triangle between the third years and who will eventually get together with the Reader. Hell, I'm thinking about adding Shimizu into the mix, and I've thought of adding other third years from other schools such as Terushima, Oikawa, Ushi, Tetsu, Kōtarō, and more lol. My solution I'm thinking of is to make separate ending chapters for them, but that is not set in stone. Another option would be to make stand-alone stories with each of them. I don't know, just voicing my thoughts. If you have any suggestions, I'm definitely happy to hear them! 

That's about all I got to say. Enter original characters, give me feedback if you have any, and hope you have a great start to the year of 2021!

My personal Instagram: [smollish_lotus](https://instagram.com/smollish_lotus?igshid=1ud219vwr38dw)  
My Instagram which I will use for choreography videos: [smollish_lotus_official](https://instagram.com/smollish_lotus_official?igshid=11hefrj9omxc)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another note I'd like to make is, every once in a while I'll make a bonus chapter that's really just incorrect quotes so don't be alarmed lol
> 
> Have a happy new year everyone!


	7. •| Stole the Show |•

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Friendly reminder as per usual;
> 
> Italicized words mean [Y/N]'s thoughts, and bold text means someone else over the phone.  
> The spacing with "•|•|•" means a simple timeskip and spacing with "×|×|×" means a point of view change (and sometimes a timeskip too). :))

A week had passed since the boys (which I have now dubbed the Elite Four) and my brother hijacked my home. As far as I was aware, they went back to Tokyo the day after they arrived and stayed for two days before coming back to annoy me. During that time, I managed to finish the choreography with minimal interruptions from my brother. A few other students had seen me working after school and I might have a few potential members already. 

I nearly threw my phone across the room as the alarm went off on the day of the pep rally. Only after I shut it off did I notice Bo and Tetsu in bed with me. Again. I noticed (and to my relief) that they were clothed as I maneuvered myself around them and got out of bed. I didn't want to bother them so I left the lights off and kinda felt my way around my room for my clothes. 

I fished out a blouse, skirt, and stockings from the closet before taking them to the bathroom. I quickly changed into my school uniform and put on some light eye makeup. Satisfied with my appearance, I exited the bathroom and grabbed some Monster from the fridge in the kitchen. 

I grabbed the notepad on the kitchen counter and left my usual feeding instructions for the twins. Finally, I grabbed my school bag and flag bag, and I made my way out the door and to Karasuno. As I drew closer, I heard someone calling my name. I perked my head up from the game I was playing on my phone and turned to see Takaki Kaijima running up to meet me. I grinned and slowed my pace as she lightly crashed against my back and wrapped her right arm around my shoulder. 

"Hey, American! What's up?" The redhead asked me playfully. I rolled my eyes before responding. "Not much. I'm a little nervous for today, but other than that, I'm well." I said. She scoffed before lightly punching my arm. "Girl, I've watched you toss that sword around like a freaking boss! You're gonna be fine!" She exclaimed, waving her arms around. I smiled. 

It was about four days ago when I met Kaijima. I was doing my usual thing outside and was beginning the chorus when she came up to me. She told me that she was a recent transfer student as well and already decided that she would be a member. 

"Thanks, Kai. I needed to hear that," I told her as we entered the school gates. She nodded, a smile on her face. "Anyways, I need to go put my flag bag away. Wanna come with?" I offered. She nodded and we both made our way around the back side of the school. As I went up the stairs in the direction of the volleyball boys' club room, I saw Sawamura locking the club room up. 

"Sawamura!" I called out. His head turned and he smiled as he saw me. "Hey, Udai! You need to drop your bag off?" He asked. I nodded, shrugging the heavy bag off my shoulder. "I would rather not drag a six foot flag, a rifle, a sabre, and two swing flags around all day." I joked. He chuckled as he unlocked their club room. I quickly put my stuff in its usual spot by Tanaka's area. I walked out and he locked the door again. 

"Thanks, Sawamura!" I said, beaming at him. "No prob. Who's this, might I ask?" 

I blinked before I remembered Kai standing behind me. "Oh! This is Takaki Kaijima. She's another recent transfer student and she already plans on joining guard!" I said enthusiastically. Kai held her hand up in a peace sign. Sawamura gave us both a closed eye smile. "That's great to hear. You're gonna form your team in no time!" He said as the three of us made our way into the school. 

We all made some small talk to each other while walking to class when a short haired brunette bumped in to our trio. Sawamura's face seemed to light up in her presence and they began a conversation. I tilted my head in confusion and Kai put her head on my shoulder. Sawamura turned to face us again and scratched his neck awkwardly. 

"Sorry guys, this is Michimiya Yui! She's the girls volleyball captain!" He said, introducing the girl. She geld her hand out for me to shake, a bright smile gracing her features. My lips curled slightly as I accepted her hand. "Pleasure to meet you, Michimiya. I'm Udai [Y/N] and this is Takaki Kaijima." I said, introducing myself and Kai. 

"You're the new kids, right? I would invite you two to join the volleyball team, but the interhigh preliminaries are next week, so it's a little late for that. Besides, we haven't done nearly enough training in the last few weeks, so we probably won't even make it through the first round." She said, running a nervous hand through her short hair. My smile faded and Sawamura huffed. He was about to lecture her, but I beat him to the chase. 

"Don't cut yourself short." I said, surprising them all. "I may have just met you, but I gave a similar lecture to Sugs. If you don't believe in your own abilities, then nothing is going to change. If you don't give all your efforts to better yourself, nothing is going to change. If you want something badly, you have to take the initiative yourself. It doesn't matter how insignificant you think you are, you matter and you have the power to change things in a heartbeat." I said. Silence surrounded our little group as other students walked around us. 

"Geez, I might reconsider joining your club if you give us lectures like that, Udai." Kai said, slapping my back rather aggressively. I rolled my eyes playfully at Kai before turning back to Michimiya, who stared at me in wonder. 

"Sawamura said you're the leader of your team, yes? That means you're the one the others look up to, Michi. You show them what it means to have confidence and grit. I know you can do great things. Even if you end up falling short, all that truly matters is that you give it everything you got. Okay?" 

Michimiya wiped a tear or two off her face and nodded at me. "Thank you, Udai. I needed to hear that. By the way, you mentioned having a club. What is it? Is it a new one this year?" 

I nodded at Michimiya's inquiry. "I'm forming a winter guard team and the principal gave me a week from today's performance to have a minimum team of ten." I explained. Michimiya looked lost in thought before nodding to herself. "I'll join." My eyes widened at her statement. "I may be a third year and have volleyball, but this sounds like something worth joining. You seem like a real team leader, and I'd like to know you more." 

I was about to cry at her statement and Kai slapped my back again. "Damn, you really have influence over others with your words, huh?" She chuckled. I smiled and even Sawamura was taken back by his friend's declaration. "Well, first you have to focus on the task you have at hand. Do what you must and fight till the very end at the interhigh preliminaries. Promise me that, okay?" I asked. She nodded, her expression filled with determination. 

"That actually reminds me! Do any of you know the schedule for the pep rally? I want to know how much time I have to warm up." I asked. The brunette's head perked up and she began to dig through her bag. "That's what I was looking for you about, Daichi! I have the pep rally schedule, and luckily for you I happened to have an extra copy as well. It seems like your potential club is sixth in line, right after both volleyball clubs." She said, handing both me and Sawamura papers. 

I looked down and sure enough 'Winterguard' was listed sixth in line after 'Volleyball'. My grin brightened and I thanked her before rushing to class, leaving the three in the dust. 

•|•|•

The pep rally began right after the normal lunch period. Other clubs such as swimming, track, and basketball have their blocks of recruiting team members and advertising their clubs before me. I spent the time right outside of the first gymnasium, which was where the pep rally was being held. I did some normal stretches before grabbing my sabre out of my bag and doing a few drop spins. A few students passed me while on their way to the pep rally and even Kai came by to wish me luck, though her way of doing that was to threaten not to get me coffee anymore. 

The time seemed to pass by quickly and soon enough a student council member began to call me in. I took a deep breath before entering the gym. I passed the boys on the way in and most of them gave me a thumbs up. 

A student announced a new club forming and gave a brief description before handing a microphone to me. My stomach tightened and I fought to keep breathing even until my eyes locked with the first person I met out of the volleyball team. Azumane Asahi gave me a kind smile and the nervousness faded away in a flash. 

"Hello, Karasuno High. You may not know me, but I am a new student here from the United States. When I came here, there was one kind of group I really wanted to join. That is winterguard. Once I got here, however, I discovered you didn't have a team. In fact, I've done the research and here in Japan, winterguard is not that popular of a sport. I want to change that. Winterguard is a graceful and powerful thing to do. It's hard to put in to words what exactly it is, so let me just show you." 

With that said, I turned on my small bluetooth speaker and grabbed my sabre. I placed it in front of me while my phone synced with the baby speaker. I chose my edited version of the song I practised with and got on the ground, waiting for the beginning of the xylophone solo. I did the body movements as I planned for the first 28 counts. On the 29th, I picked up my sabre and released into a toss on the 32nd count. 

**Now and then I think of when we were together**

**Like when you said you felt so happy you could die**

**I told myself that you were right for me**

**But felt so lonely in your company**

**But that was love and it's an ache I still remember**

Through the first verse, I did some basic sabre work from when I first learned the weapon. I did a few body manipulations and the song cut over the instrumental and went immediately into the second verse.

**You can get addicted to a certain kind of sadness**

**Like resignation to the end, always the end**

**So when we found that we could not make sense**

**Well, you said that we would still be friends**

**But I'll admit that I was glad it was over**

The second verse was filled with more recent techniques I have learned. As the chorus came on, I switched from the sabre to a normal 6 foot flag.

**But you didn't have to cut me off**

**Make out like it never happened and that we were nothing**

**And I don't even need your love**

**But you treat me like a stranger and that feels so rough**

**No, you didn't have to stoop so low**

**Have your friends collect your records and then change your number**

**I guess that I don't need that though**

**Now you're just somebody that I used to know**

At the end of the chorus of the song, it switched to the outtro and I switched back to dance and body work.

**Somebody (I used to know)**

**Somebody (Now you're just somebody that I used to know)**

**Somebody (I used to know)**

**Somebody (Now you're just somebody that I used to know)**

**(I used to know)**

**(That I used to know)**

**(I used to know)**

**Somebody**

With the final note of the song, I ended on the floor, panting slightly. The auditorium fell silent as I got off the ground. I began to grow nervous until I heard some clapping. My head turned to see that it was the boys volleyball club. The small group soon began to wave until the entire gymnasium roared with the sound. Pride swelled in my heart and I bowed. I took the microphone back from where I set it down. 

"That small performance was just a small show of what you can do with winterguard. If you wish to join or are curious about how things work, I am in Third Year Class 4. Come to me for inquiries and paperwork to join, and I hope to see you there!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll be completely honest, I didn't do much description wise with the choreography because it isn't finished. I haven't gotten to really go outside at all because I live up north, and all we've gotten the last few months is snow and rain, so I haven't really had any opportunities to do some work. 
> 
> I've also finally got a read on how my publishing patterns are, and I tend to get a chapter out at least once a month. I apologise that it can't be sooner, but I'll work hard to get the best works out possible and to maybe get two a month as well. As always, thank you for reading and I will still be taking character submissions if you wish! :)


	8. ∞| Author Notice |∞

Hey, I'm so sorry I haven't posted within the month, but I have to go on a small hiatus. I never like doing this, but things within my home have gotten really bad. 

Please know that I am in a safe environment and that I am okay, I'm just dealing with a lot right now. I'm also trying to figure out a lot of things regarding my future since I have no help from family and I have to figure out funding, financial aid, and all that by myself. Just know this is only temporary and I should get back to this within the next few weeks. Hopefully.

Love you guys and I'm sorry about the wait :')


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